With so many of us about to buy endless goods in the mad race for Christmas day, many of us will be looking to have a good clear-out after the festive period. This may be to declutter with news years resolutions in mind, or prepare for a fresh new decorating project keep your spirits up in time for the new Spring. Conversely, you may wish to dab a quick coat of paint to a tired or scruffy part of your home,, treat yourself on a home project with a custom deck builder, or even get that wooden floor restored just in time for Christmas entertaining. Anyway, whenever you choose to makeover your home, the following tips and hacks may make your life easier when preparing your walls for painting.
- Declutter – If you are a hoarder and need to get a space cleared, try the 12-12-12 challenge. No, it’s not 2012, use this simple ‘Challenge’ to get rid of 12 items for the dustbin, 12 items for recycling or charity, and 12 items tidied and put back in their ‘rightful’ place.
- Dust Sheets – Remove any items that don’t want paint drops on them. Such as antique Indian furniture, leather sofas or wood hardwood furniture. For furniture that can’t be moved or installations such as waterproof speakerscover this in plastic sheeting and put dustsheets and newspaper on the floors, covering all fabric and carpet.
- Wall preparation – To prepare your wall for painting, do the following:
Filling Holes
There are many excellent multipurpose wall and ceiling fillers that are often effective in filling cracks and holes with just one use.To smooth out dents, cracks and edges, use a nozzle ended tube of filler. These usually come with a gun applicator for easy use. The mouldable resin has about 10% flexibility to help prevent cracks in the same place again. Cut the nozzle at 45 degree angle and apply a modest amount to the crack. Use your fingers to help fill the entire crack and then smooth over with a damp cloth to ensure as clean and flush fill as possible.
Sanding
The next step is to sand your rough edges to create a smooth surface to paint.
Sandpaper comes in a range of thicknesses and for bigger jobs (such as a wooden floor) there are electronic sanders that are available to buy or to rent. For walls and skirting, use an 80g medium sheet to hand-sand off any lumps and bumps. Not only will your walls look smoother, but after sanding any paint you apply to the area will have better coverage.
Masking Off
A few rolls of masking tape are essential in creating any feature lines and to ensure no bleeding in to the ceiling or skirting or floor. Apply masking tape around the base and top of any skirting boards or architrave to prevent bleeding of gloss – a harder paint to sand off or paint over. Use a masking tape that is easy to remove and at least 2 inches thick. If you are masking off a carpeted area, try to stick the masking tape right down between the skirting and the carpet itself – make sure it is as flush and pain tight as possible to avoid leaks.
You’re all set to paint your room!
For all your decorating needs Handyman On Tap are available to hire for excellent rates. For a non-obligation, free quote to redecorate and take the stress of DIY away, contact us in Brighton or Worthing on 01273 723600 or 01903 660093 or email us at office@ontap-group.com. Happy Holidays.